To the present time, efforts to identify markers of alcoholism have relied chiefly on evaluating changes in liver biochemistry reflected in the blood by changes in the concentrations of certain amino acids. See Shaw, et al, 1976, Plasma a-amino-n-butyric acid to leucine ratio: An empirical biochemical marker of alcoholism, Science, 194: 1057.
Accumulating evidence indicates, however, that probes that depend on the development of abnormalities of liver function lack the specificity required of a test that, in principle, should do no more than reflect a dose-time record of alcohol consumption. See Morgan, M. Y., et al, 1977, Ratio of plasma a-amino-n-butyric acid to leucine as an empirical marker of alcoholism: Diagnostic value, Science, 197: 1183; Eriksson, S., et al, 1979, Plasma a-amino-n-butyric acid/leucine ratio in alcoholism, N. Eng. J. Med. 300L 93; Kristensson, H., et al, 1977, Serum glutamyl-transferase in alcoholism, Lancet, 1: 609; and Whitehead, T. P., et al, 1978, Biochemical and hematological markers of alcohol intake, Lancet, 1: 978.
Now, there is provided by the present invention a method for providing an accurate in vitro test which will identify alcoholism in humans.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a method for obtaining an objective and quantitative measure of alcohol consumption over varying periods of time.
It is an additional object of this invention to provide a method for obtaining an objective and qualitative measure of alcohol consumption which does not rely on detecting hepatoxic effects of ethanol made evident by blood tests of liver function.
The aforesaid objects as well as other objects and advantages, will be made more apparent in reading the following description and the enjoined claims .